Wednesday 18 August 2010

Liverpool for the Title. Boss.

So the literally bezillions of Radette's on twitter will have noticed a brave and somehwat foolhardy prediction of Liverpool for the title on the Radetto Twitter (Check that out kids). Things is as a Newcastle fan I can look at the title race in a completely unbiased way, and I wasn't just going for the lets say something ridiculous and controversial angle, I think Liverpool might have a genuine challenge this season.

Why is that then lad? Well the first team isn't that bad. They still have Torres, who will surely get back to form eventually, and Gerrard, who was pretty good for that other underachieving football institution midweek and will certainly get them points. If N'Gog can find the man within himself and score regularly all season (If Marlon Harewood can have a 20+ goal season then surely N'Gog can), he will be playing infront of a fairly potent first choice midfeild.

So the squad is fairly decent, but it is the man in the bench that is the reason I may put a bit down on Liverpool sensationally pulling this one out the bag. Hodgson has excelled in situations where he has had a not 'really good enough' squad, and taken them on to some fairly sensational things right through from taking Halmstad to the Swedish title before knocking up a sensational five in a row with Malmo. Whilst Malmo may have been one of Sweden's bigger teams, five in a row with any squad is not to be sniffed at, especially when you take in the knocking Inter out of the champions league antics. Hell, this is a man who got Switzerland playing some of Europe's best football, and took them 2-0 up against eventually not quite winners Italy in the '94 world cup. Then there was Copenhagen, another mid table side taken to the title, and we all know the Fulham story.

So yeah, Roy has a record for doing this kind of thing.

And then there is the fact that Liverpool's 'not quite good enough but that's ok cos we have got Roy' squad is relatively unchanged and will not have to cope with Champions League issues. Chelsea seem to be going all out for Euro Glory this year, and after last night, clearly the competition is going to cause Spurs a bit of stress and I can't help but feel united are going to have problems once there aged all-stars get completely crocked. And lets be honest, City is going to descend into an ego laden pit of despair this year.

 I should probably wait until after the city game to say this, but if the 'Pool can compete with the rest of the big seven in the same way they did against Arsenal and the squad can unite behind both Roy and the underdog banner then I at least think things could be rosy.